Magi
Magi is the influencing of events by supernatural means. Magi can often be split into dark and light, though depending on the situation, can also be neutral. From this splitting it can then further be split into the six major schools of Magi, and then four other major kinds of Magi. Magi was first created by the forces of the Old Ones that wanted the gaurdians of the world to be seperate and more powerful then those who would be living on the planet, but following the collapse of the Titans The Fade was allowed to be penetrated by the denizens of the planet. Biologically, magi is a genetic heredity that allows witches and wizards to practice sorcery.The basic concepts of magic are fairly simple -- even a two-year-old wizard can do some form of magic -- but the inherent power and potential for misuse are great indeed. A small fraction of mortals are born with the ability to wield Magi, and this can vary based on the race involved, but in terms of humans the amount is less then one percent of all have some form of Magi ability with even less with a truly noticeable amount of Magi ability. Magi is formed from a person who is sensitive to its feelings, and these individuals can mentally enter the Fade, and from the fade take small amounts of this ability. The fade is a purely imaginary place, and only exists in the minds of those who wield its powers, but never the less a failing in a spell could place you in extreme danger in the Fade, and its new Chaotic denizens. Human wizards and Gnome conjurers can only use a single color of magic without being corrupted, thus each of The Empire's Colleges of Magic are centered around the use of only one wind of magic. Elf and Slann magic users are more proficient and are able to use the full spectrum. History Early History The first people on Earth to use Magi, were without a doubt the servents of the Old Ones in the Lizardmen. During their time of dominance the Lizardmen were guided by the Old Ones to ever increasing power in Magi, and they used this Magi to change the enviroment of Earth to better suit life. This Magi use though was uninpeded by the rigors of Chaos that now exists. Where during this time a Magi could use a spell and never have any worry, a Magi now must worry about being pulled into the Fade. Birth of the Man Gods War Present Day The Fade Main Article : The Fade The Fade, known by the Dalish as the Beyond, is a metaphysical realm that is part of Thedas yet separated by the Veil. The Fade is split up into fiefs belonging to the spirits that live there, and they change the landscape of the Fade to emulate what they see in the minds of mortal dreamers. The Fade and its inhabitants generally copy locations, objects, people and concepts of the real world, often in a cruel or confusing way. These copies are nowhere near consistent, and may alter from moment to moment. The Black City seems to be the only constant feature of the Fade, always on the horizon. No one has managed to 'reach' it since the catastrophic event described in Codex entry: Tears in the Veil. The Fade has become a wasteland nightmarish place as the largest proportion of the Fade is controlled by Tzeneech, while a small segment is controlled by the new Titan God of Magi, but this is only tolerated by Tzeneech out of amusement. Every living being (with the exception of dwarves) enters the Fade mentally when they dream, and mages tap into it when they cast spells. Most people do not remember their time in the Fade - mages being a distinct exception. 'Killing' a mortal's dreaming form while in the Fade (thus ending that individual's dream and waking them up) is a shock to the living body, but not inherently lethal. Magi Ability There are six levels of Magi ability that exist in the world of Earth, and it is with this classification in mind that the scope of a Magi user is defined. Level Zero Level Zero is the rarest of Magi abilities, as most have at least some presence within the Fade, but for those who are level zero they are basically non excistent to the Fade, and for this reason are dramatically more resistant to Magi abilities. *Cannot enter the Fade *The entire Dwarven Race is Level Zero following the Dwarven Ritual of Finland Level One Level One is the most common state for the people of the earth with the vast majority of the population (nearly ninety percent) belonging to this level of Magi ability. Level One is basically no real abilities, other then perhaps a small amount of ability to see the fade which most often comes in the form of deja vu, or with preminitions of future events. *Can enter the Fade in only the most rarest of cases, with nearly ninety nine percent of Level One's never having any ability to enter the Fade Level Two Level Two is the most common form of Magi users that exist, with the majority of Magi, and wizards seen being from level two. Level two has the ability to feel into the Fade, and pull out what they can get, but they lack the ability to get out enough or to grasp it so they can never attaint immense powers. *Can enter the Fade briefly, but has no ability to take corporal form in the Fade, or be possessed while in the fade due to their weak presence. Level Three Level Three is much the same as Level two except for that level three has a much larger ability to enter the Fade which usually comes in dreams, and thus while a level three has more potential in Magi they are at a high risk of coruption due to the chaos control of much of the Fade, and their lacking of the ability of a level four or above. *Can enter the Fade in corporal form Level Four Level Four shares the same characteristics of Level Three except that their innate ability is higher, and their control over their dreams and how/and when they enter the fade is much higher then a level three. *Can Enter the Fade in corporal form Level Five Level Five is a Magi user with an immense amount of ability, and will have near godlike control over the Fade, and this control will also allow for them to enter the Fade, and leave the Fade even while they are awake. There are many Level Fives as they appear as the pinnacle of normal Magi users, but they are still a rare breed that is not wise to be trifled with as they are basically one step before godlike powers. Level Six Level Six is the most rare of Magi levels and has only been seen on the rarest of occasions, with those users showing signs of Level Six being seen more as Gods then as actual mortals anymore. *The Man Gods were all level Six Magi. Negative Levels Negative Levels of Magi or people who have the Pariah gene are known as Blanks and exist on varying degrees of negative Magi levels with the higher levels a near death sentence for magi users. Blanks can be tracked down through the use of a devise known as the Pendant of Pariah which is built by the Titans and used by them in order to find Pariah users for use by them when the time comes. Negative levels were created through the Pariah gene and a part of this mutation left only one group immune from the effects of the Pariah gene and this group was the Titans who are not effected by proximity to Blanks. This is true in all cases except for Negative Level 3 Blanks who were created in secret by Tek following the creation of the Pariah gene and were meant as a sort of god assasin, but the only level 3 blanks are formed among the Snow Elves or Avari and thus are kept hidden by Tek on Iceland. Negative 1 A Negative 1 level is the first level of the Pariah Negative levels and users showing this level will physically enter the fade during dreaming, and while not invisible to those with magi abilities they appear almost ethereal thus making them very dangerous for Magi users. *Enter Fade physically *Near invisible to magi users Negative 2 A Negative 2 level is the most well known of the Blanks and exists as a near hole in the fade with Magi users unable to see a level 2 blank and a level 2 blank being able to physically enter and leave the fade with little effort. *Enter Fade physically *Invisible to Magi users *Causes physical pain to Magi users Negative 3 A Negative 3 Level is the highest level of Pariah level that exists and this level would define a true monster of whom exists as two creatures with his soul a separate entity that exists constantly in the fade and its physical form also exists in the material world and both are able to constantly communicate with each other. A negative 3 is like staring at a black hole for Magi users with the level 3 blank causing death for Magi users if they do not have enough power to resist the pull of the blank. Negative levels were created through the Pariah gene and a part of this mutation left only one group immune from the effects of the Pariah gene and this group was the Titans who are not effected by proximity to Blanks. This is true in all cases except for Negative Level 3 Blanks who were created in secret by Tek following the creation of the Pariah gene and were meant as a sort of god assasin, but the only level 3 blanks are formed among the Snow Elves or Avari and thus are kept hidden by Tek on Iceland. *Enter Fade Physically *Invisible to Magi Users *Proximity can be fatal to magi users *Can Effect Titans Main Schools of Magi Alteration School of Magi Alteration magi can be used to change the fundamentals of physics and biology. It can harden the caster's skin until it is like armor, cause a lock to pop open without a key, or burden an enemy with invisible weight. Alteration magic's greatest strengths are outside of combat. Many thieves and assassins make use of this school to benefit their careers. Destruction While most choose to concentrate on dealing out elemental damage, the school of Destruction has a number of useful spells beyond those. A clever caster can hinder an enemy, destroy weapons and armor, and weaken him or her to the point of collapse. It also allowed a spellcaster to reduce damage from other magickal attacks. Shyish is the purple wind of magic, and is associated with the Lore of Death. The power of Shyish comes from the ending of things, the slow decline of the soul, and the certainty and terrible awe of death that all sentient creatures must face at some point. Shyish tells us that even though physical form must inevitably come to an end, creation is permanent, and there exist forces larger than our mortal selves that deserve respect and even reverence. Shyish is drawn to places where death must be faced, or where things are brought to an end. It blows strongly around battlefields, lingers around gallows and courts of justice, and hangs in the mournful silence around fresh graves. It is said to be strongest around times of obvious transition, when one state ends and another begins. Dawn and dusk are the most obvious examples of this, but also spring and autumn, and the equinoxes that mark the beginning of the end for winter and summer. Conjuration Calling forth creatures from other worlds and creating weapons with magicka are two of the most beneficial tools a caster can utilize. Because of this, casters of all types make use of the school of Conjuration. Restoration Second only to Destruction in popularity, the school of Restoration can keep any adventurer in working order. It can heal physical damage, purge the body of disease, and heal attribute damage from enemy spells. The Restoration School of Magi is known by the Wind of Ghyran of which defines its power. Ghyran is the green wind of magic, used by Jade Wizards and also Druids to a lesser extent and is closely associated with the Lore of Life. Ghyran is closely tied to nature, water and the flow of the natural essence of life through the world. It is strongest near sources of water or in areas where life grows in abundance - around rivers and lakes, by springs, in forests and woods. Rainfall is known to unleash a torrent of Ghyran energy where it falls. The strength of Ghyran magic is generally affected by the seasons - it is most potent in spring and summer, and it declines during winter. Ghyran magic can be used in a wide range of spells - as well as giving vital energy and providing healing, it can be used to manipulate the natural environment and control water in all its forms. Mysticism The school of Mysticism can unravel the mysteries of the universe if properly applied. It can also tell you what is around the next corner, lying in wait for a hapless adventurer to wander by. The Mysticism School of Magi is also known by Ulgu for its wind, which is the section of the Fade that it draws strength from. Ulgu is the grey wind of magic, and is associated with the Lore of Shadows. Ulgu is a mysterious wind, which spreads disorientation and confusion amongst those it touches. It is spoken of as a thick grey fog, and it is drawn to still lowlands and waterways where natural mists gather at dawn. Ulgu invokes the sensation of being lost, or perplexed by something that you can't quite put your finger on. The Shifting Isles off the coast of Ulthuan are shrouded with the power of Ulgu, and provide an impenetrable maze to protect the isle from invaders. Illusion Things are rarely as they seem on Earth, and casters who practice the deceptive art of Illusion prefer it that way. Illusion is an excellent talent for a caster who wishes to swindle a merchant, sneak around undetected, or drive a creature into a frenzy to escape. It is also known as the winds of Hysh. Hysh is the magic of illumination, the abstract of high-mindedness and consciousness in its most general sense. It is intangible, diffused and all permeating, needing the total focus of will and an absolute determination of mind to make use of it. It is perhaps the most difficult of the colours to bend to one's will. Hysh is the white wind of magic, and is associated with the Lore of Illusion and light. The wind of Hysh blows wherever there is light, so it is no surprise that the sun is the most important source of this magic. Hysh is at its most potent during the hours of daylight, and during the day it is absorbed into all solid things that are lit by the sun, from which it can be drawn at night by one skilled enough. It is only in the darkest places of the world, deep under the earth, where the Lore of Light has no power. Conversely, mountaintops therefore provide strong amounts of Hysh energy, being closest to the light of the sun. Chaos Schools of Magi The Chaos Schools of magi were created following the Titan Civil War aftermath event known as The Dampening where the new Lord of the Fade in the form of Myspeth blocked off access to the Fade in its entirety to the Chaos Titans and this led to them and their followers having difficulty using the Fade the way they had previous. As this difficulty moved forward it was Tzeenech that created a device known as the harp of Disobedience and allowed the Chaos Titans access to parts of the Fade which the Noble Titans and Myspeth had no ability to police, and following the creation of the new Harp of Disobedience the Chaos Titans fought for use of the harp until eventually Tzeenech forged several pocket dimensions for the remaining truly powerful Chaos Titans allowing them access to their own power source. Due to this Chaos Schools of Magi can vary in power from the School of Change where Tzeneech is almost as limitless in his power as an Elven High magi would be, and then down to the Lore of Plain and Pleasure where Slanaash's domain is quite weak and thus his followers are diminished in their usage. School of Change As the Lord of Change and Magi, Tzeentch’s spells offer Sorcerers incredible power and capacity for destruction. His spells are violent, for they bring about the ultimate change, the change of life to death. His School of Magi is also known as the Lore of Change. Other Magi Schools Necromancy The third member of the overall Conjuration family Necromancers are Magi that specialize in binding the spirits that are drawn to death. They can put the fear of death into enemies, bring spirits to fight on their behalf, and even cause devastating explosions when their enemies die. Blood Magi Blood magic is a school of magic that uses the power inherent in blood to fuel spellcasting and also to twist the blood in others for violent or corrupting purposes. Unlike users of conventional magic, its users do not touch the Fade when casting spells and find it harder to enter the Fade. Shapeshifting The Shapeshifting School of Magi is a magi distinction which allows a person to transform their body into the form of an animal. Creation The School of Creation, sometimes called the School of Nature, is the second of the Schools of Conjuration, the balancing force and complement of Entropy. Creation magic manipulates natural forces, transforming what exists and bringing new things into being. Creation requires considerable finesse, more than any other school, and is therefore rarely mastered. Those mages who have made a serious study of creation are the highest in demand, useful in times of peace as well as war. Entropy The first of the two Schools of Conjuration, Entropy is the opposing force of Creation; for this reason it is often called the School of Negation. Nothing lives without death. Time inevitably brings an end to all things in the material world, and yet in this ending is the seed of a beginning. A river may flood its banks, causing havoc, but bring new life to its floodplain. The fire that burns a forest ushers in new growth. And so it is with entropic magic that we manipulate the forces of erosion, decay, and destruction to create anew. Dovah The Dovah School of Magi or The Thu'um, also referred to as Storm Voice or simply the Voice, is a form of magi that many germans and some others possess which utilizes the Dragon Language to form Dragon Shouts, of immense power. The word itself directly translates to the word "shout" in the Dragon language. At its lowest levels these Shouts allow for a german to communicate and carry a bond with a dovah, while at its highest levels a Dovah Magi would have the ability to create spells through speaking this language. Dovah Magi is also unique in that given to the Germans by the Dovah it has no connection to the larger Magi families meaning that unlike other Magi users they have no ability to use Magi outside of the Dovah family and their ability to enter the Fade is non existent. Nature Druids are keepers of the world who walk the path of nature, following the wisdom of the Ancients and Cenarius, healing and nurturing the world. To druids, nature is a delicate balance of actions in which even the smallest imbalance can create storming turmoil from peaceful skies. Druids draw their power from this natural energy, using it to change their shapes and command the forces of nature. Druids harness the vast powers of nature to preserve balance and protect life. With experience, druids can unleash nature’s raw energy against their enemies, raining celestial fury on them from a great distance, binding them with enchanted vines, or ensnaring them in unrelenting cyclones. Elven Magi Elven Magi High Magi, also called Elven Magi, or True Magi or Qhaysh, is the art of using all of the Schools of Magi in harmony and unison, creating some of the most powerful spells known to the Earth. Exclusive to High Elves, Sindari Elves, Slann, and the Skinks of Lustria, spells from High Magic are powerful, beyond the ken of Human minds and ability. In fact, the spells Teclis taught the Human Wizards were but minor spells of True Magic. Teclis' Human students revealed they lacked the finesse at manipulating anything more complicated than what could be achieved through a single Wind. The reason is because High Elves are better suited to sensing the ebb and flow of the Winds of Magic better than any other race, anticipating dangerous changes before they occur. Its polar opposite is True Dhar. Dhar Magi High Dhar or Dark Elven Magi is the art of the Untrained, unknowing, or irresponsible magi users who do not care, or have the ability to develop the incredible sharpness of mind required to weave High Magi from the Winds of Magic, may choose a more direct, immediate, and dangerous path for their spellcraft. Such spellcasters may channel all available magic around them into their spells, regardless of the different parts in the surrounding environment, and focus it into a far less specific spell. Such spellcraft is less spell construction and more abrupt acts of absolute will. Those who wield magic in this way do not carefully sculpt and tweak the Winds of Magi so much as simply grab the Winds and force them into the effect required through harsh and bloody-minded determination. European Magi Kingdom of Hogwarts See Also : Hogwarts ' ' Hogwarts is a very Frankish Magi City, ruled for centuries in silence and peace and this has made them a major player in Central Europe. Hogwarts has become involved in a large conflict with the Empire, and surrounding regions of whom have attempted to overwhelm the small realm in order to gain access to the extremely powerful Magi artifacts that litter the fortress. The city is ruled by an arch mage that is voted in on a three year term. This unique style means they are one of the only democracies in Europe. The current Arch Mage is Albus Dumbledore, who has ruled for well over a hundred years, and his rule has become defined by the violence of the last few years which have tainted what was a flawless record. The city recruits most of its Magi members, and others from villages and towns surrounding, of which Hogsmeade is the most critical. While it is a kingdom and its border spreads quite far from the castle walls to enclose over many towns, and villages the Kingdom of Hogwarts does not command anything of these places, and thus it is more of a community then it is a kingdom. Hogwarts was founded during the years following the Chaos of the destruction of the Empire of Numeron, but during its fall. Hogwarts was created so that the Franks of the area could protect themselves from the constant threats of the Trollocs that surrounded them. Order of the Blue Dragon See Also : Order of the Blue Dragon The Order of the Blue Dragon is the Dragon order that controls the Magi users in the Kingdom of Lucerne, and this way does the recruiting, training, and commanding of all those Magi within the order. The Order operates out of the old circle of Magi tower, but also controls the valley of Tarnboot and several small locations throughout the Kingdom of Lucerne. The Leadership of the Order of the Blue Dragon starts with the Azure Lord in the form of the powerful mage Khadgar, and below him lie the six Azure Lords. The Order of the Blue Dragon has taken control of the old Circle of Magi tower called the Tower of Magi, and it is here that they maintain their headquarters. From the Tower of Magi the Order of the Blue Dragon has set up stepping stones in all the major towns throughout the Kingdom of Lucerne, and this allows them to quickly transport themselves to these locations in a matter of a second. Alongside this they control the valley that the Tower is located in, and inside this valley the two houses in the form of House Mandelay, and House Burgen are the Vassals of the Order of the Blue Dragon, and provide most of the physical non-Magi support for the Order of the Blue Dragon. The Leadership of the Order of the Blue Dragon starts with the Azure Lord in the form of the powerful mage Khadgar, and below him lie the six Azure Lords. Khadgar in his role as Azure's Hand is obviously the overall leader, but each sect of the Order of the Blue Dragon (Illusion, Destruction, Restoration, Myctism, and Conjuration) all have their own leaders that control the manner in which their respective sects are moving. The begginings of the Order of the Blue Dragon were formed when Khadgar begin to fear that his master in Bill Lovie had lost himself into Chaos. In this way he took little part in the affairs of the Circle of Magi, and begin to form ideas of creating a new Order if the opportunity should ever arise. He would at first begin finding members, and it was during this attempted recruiting that he would become an enemy of the state after he did not assist the Circle of Magi in their mission to destroy the city of Tree Hill. He watched as Bill grew more powerful and felt hopeless but his selvation would arrive when William Lovie III. rose to power, and gave him permission to create the Order of the Blue Dragon. From the old Tower of Magi the order has grown to much larger levels then I think even Khadgar believed they could, and with this increase comes a growth in importance. The Order has become quite popular following their succesful role in the Invasion of Westbridge where they basically by themselves managed to take control of the weakened northern gatehouse of the castle. Following this they have become increasingly used by the reigning king William Lovie III. Kirin Tor See Also : Kirin Tor ''' Kirin Tor '''is a large Magi Organization that exists in the Kingdom of Lorderon. The organization shares a strong relationship with the other major Magi organizations and cities including the likes of Hogwarts, theIstari in Gondor, Beauxbatons of northern France, and Durmstrang of Norway, and finally and most recently the Order of the Blue Dragon in Lucerne. This strong relationship means they are one of the most recegnizeable and well known Mag instutionions in Europe. While the order's independance has been a source of strength it is now being challenged from within by a servent of Sauron who is gathering quite a following in secret. The Kirin Tor were founded during the rise of the Empire of Numeron and during this period of time they stood as one of the academies of the Elur in the region of Westros. When the war had ended the Elur that remained were so diminished that they became the puppets of the growing number of Goths that entered their area, and eventually would form the Kingdom of Lorderon. Under the Kingdom of Lorderon the Kirin Tor became once again the center of a Magi academy but this time it was the center of it. Durmstrang See Also : Durmstrang Durmstrang is a small but powerful fortress located in Norway in northern Europe that is completely independant from all other nations in Europe. Durmstrang was founded during the earliest days of the humans entering the region of Norway. The fortress originally was an actual city but as the Andals overran the region the population was drained away, and the only remaining member was Hadamir Krog of whom used his Magi to conceal the city beneath a vail of mist that kept it safe from the Andals and the Chaos taint. Over the centuries despite this hidden nature the fortress has become constantly the site of attacks by demons of whom are attracted to the Magi abilities of the denizens. There have been two different occasions where demons have overrun the fortress and nearly destroyed it and only the desperate actions of its defenders have led to its survival. Beauxbatons Academy of Magic See Also : Beauxbatons Academy of Magic Category:Magi